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You may have noticed that it is Nobel Prize week, with daily announcements of the names of those elevated to the highest status science can bestow. It has also been a week in which the Nobel Foundation rejected calls for the structure of the prizes to be updated with the creation of new categories.
I have to say that I have some sympathy with those calling for the update, which took the form of an open letter in New Scientist recently. Alfred Nobel signed his will in 1895, in an era very different from today's. His vast fortune was to be used to make annual awards in five fields of endeavour: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Those calling for change point out that the world has changed enormously since the 19th century, with new challenges and new branches of science springing up to meet them. The existing awards do not adequately reflect this.
Not so, counters the Foundation. The existing categories cover pretty much the whole gamut, and every new scientific discipline is merely part of one of the larger groups. To introduce new medals would be to dilute the importance of all Nobel Prizes. The original vision of Alfred Nobel must prevail.
The very success of the Nobel Prizes, as the ultimate award of their kind, is perhaps the best reason to leave them as they are. But to use the old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', what if it is broke? Alfred Nobel's original vision is already a long way from the Nobel Prize reality of today. He stipulated that the prizes should go to those 'who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind'. Clearly, this aspect has long been abandoned and the lag between discovery and prize has stretched enormously. The 1983 physics prize went to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar for work done in the 1930s - a exceptional delay, but it is common for awards to be made 20 years after the scientific discovery.
Nobel intended his awards to go to a single individual, but this has also been abandoned. While the literature prize, for obvious reasons, is still usually awarded to an individual, the others are now rarely given as single awards and more commonly shared. The Foundation, though, decrees that no more than three people can share a prize - sometimes awarding them a third each, sometimes one taking half and the others a quarter.
The Foundation also says that all disciplines are adequately covered already, yet there are glaring gaps. The lack of a Nobel for mathematics has long been an irritation to the number-crunchers, while the introduction of a prize for economics in 1968 undermines the philosophy that the original five medals cover all needs.
So, what new awards should we have? Mathematics is the natural choice, but what else? I'd welcome suggestions from Laboratorytalk readers, and will offer a full list next time.
Top Products featured this issue
[1] THERMO FISHER INTRODUCES DOWNLOADABLE PROTOCOLS
(Thermo Fisher Scientific, 06 Oct 2009)
Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced a range of downloadable protocols for the Thermo Scientific Multiskan FC microplate photometer. There are now nearly 50 ready-made protocols available to cover a wide variety of applications, including a broad range of Elisas and protein and cell viability assay kits. The protocols are free to download and include all of the measurement and calculation parameters defined in the associated assay kit instructions. As a result, researchers can start using a new assay by registering online a...
[2] BIOCHIP ARRAYS FOR MICROBIAL AGENT DETECTION
(Randox Laboratories, 05 Oct 2009)
Randox Laboratories has developed three biochip arrays for the detection of a variety of antimicrobial agents. These arrays enable simultaneous multi-analyte testing of up to 12 antimicrobials from a single sample. Antimicrobial Array I tests for sulphonamides, Array II for general antibiotics and Array III for nitrofurans, chloramphenicol and malachite green. These antimicrobials are used in human and veterinary medicine and their use in food-producing animals could result in potentially harmful concentrations in tissue, organs and...
[3] MALVERN INTRODUCES ZEN1010 ZETA POTENTIAL CELL
(Malvern Instruments, 01 Oct 2009)
The Zen1010 high-concentration zeta potential cell for the Zetasizer Nano particle characterisation system from Malvern Instruments enables measurement in samples of up to 40 per cent w/v. The design, which incorporates a reduced optical path length, can typically provide three times the concentration measurement ability of standard cells for a particular sample. Suitable for measurement in aqueous media, the new cell takes a 150ml sample in the measurement area. As a consequence of the reduced optical path and...
[4] IDENTIPOLQA ANALYSES THERMOPLASTIC COMPOUNDS
(Celsum Technologies, 01 Oct 2009)
Celsum Technologies is offering the IdentipolQA instrument for rapid analysis of thermoplastic compounds. IdentipolQA uses a very small sample, of a few milligrams, and tests it using hybrid thermal analysis technology. The instrument may be 'taught' what results are expected from a 'good' sample, and a quality index (QIS) score is provided in a Scada-style output, so that there is no need for skilled operators to interpret complex graphs. Set-up is fast and most users can be measuring samples within half an hour. Tests with the IdentipolQA are not...
[5] BINDER CONVECTION OVENS IDEAL FOR LAB USE
(Cole-Parmer, 05 Oct 2009)
Cole-Parmer has launched a range of Binder high-temperature convection ovens that is said to be ideal for laboratory use. All models have a temperature range from 5C above room temperature to 300C with an accuracy of +/- 0.3C at 70C. The laboratory ovens are available in a range of chamber sizes between 20L and 240L, and customers can select from gravity convection oven models or forced convection oven models. Gravity convection ovens are used for drying, sterilisation and precise warm-storage tasks, while forced...
[6] FLUIDIGM POSTER REPORTS ON MICROFLUIDICS CELL WORK
(Fluidigm Europe, 07 Oct 2009)
Fluidigm Europe has launched a customer technical poster entitled 'Comprehensive profiling of microRNAs in murine hematopoietic stem cells using a microfluidics approach'. The poster reports on the work of researchers at the BC Cancer Agency and University of British Columbia. It describes how microfluidic technologies were combined with a 288-plex real time PCR approach, allowing the detection of 288 miRNAs in small numbers (around 3000) of cells. The poster describes how over 20 unique murine hematopoietic cell...
[7] DROPLET GENERATOR CHIPS AVAILABLE IN TWO VERSIONS
(Micronit Microfluidics, 07 Oct 2009)
Micronit Microfluidics is offering a number of off-the-shelf droplet generator chips for its Fluidic Connect platform. The droplet generator chips come in two versions: a T-shaped and focused flow design. Both are available in a hydrophilic (glass) and hydrophobic (coated glass) version, allowing the generation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions respectively. The glass chips feature precisely etched channels ensuring controlled and repeatable droplet formation with high uniformity in droplet size.
[8] SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTOR SYSTEM LAUNCHED
(Supercritical Fluid Technologies, 05 Oct 2009)
Supercritical Fluid Technologies has introduced the SFT-250 supercritical fluid extractor. Designed to perform a variety of extractions in supercritical fluid, the SFT-250 is engineered to meet the rigorous day-to-day tasks of the research laboratory. The system can also be used for small-scale pilot processing. The SFT-250 can be modified for evolving applications needs. Its extraction vessel is forged from durable stainless steel. Vessels can range in size from 100ml to 5 litres. Larger vessels are suitable for extracting very low levels of...
[9] LAB21 WIDENS ONCOLOGY PORTFOLIO WITH NEW TESTS
(Lab21, 07 Oct 2009)
Lab21 has extended its oncology portfolio with the launch of three diagnostic tests: Cellcheck, Theros Cancertype ID, and Stagecheck. The launch coincides with the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference 2009 in Birmingham, and Lab21 will host a seminar, entitled 'Advances in Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer', during the event. Cellcheck has been developed for the detection of circulating metastatic tumour cells; Theros Cancertype ID is for the characterisation of tumours with unknown primary; and Stagecheck is a sensitive test for staging colorectal...
[10] QUOTIENT OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE BIOMARKER SERVICES
(Quotient BioResearch, 05 Oct 2009)
Quotient Research has announced that it is supporting a key industry trend with comprehensive biomarker services for drug development. The company said it offers expertise in marker development, the establishment and validation of methods, and routine quantification of almost 250 different biomarkers. Biomarkers can be correlated with biological events to validate drug targets or to predict drug response. In addition, they may be used to characterise and stratify patient populations, helping researchers understand...
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Russ Swan
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